A Goddess in Reality
by FierySprites
Summary: For close to two years, Minato Arisato has served as the Great Seal. Elizabeth seeks a way to free him from this fate—which eventually leads her path to cross with Izanami. She doesn't usually dole out favors for others… but for Minato, wielder of the Universe Arcana? A reward from her is most certainly in order. [Minato to Marie TF/TG, Not P4G Compliant, One-Shot]


**A Goddess in Reality**  
A Minato Arisato to Marie TF/TG

* * *

 **Notes:** This one-shot is set shortly after the True Ending of _Persona 4._ None of the extra content in _Golden_ regarding Marie is canon for this fic. Massive spoilers are featured for both _Persona 3 (FES / Portable)_ and _Persona 4 (Golden),_ though I imagine that's a bit of a moot point by now.

This fic was updated on February 2, 2020 to improve Minato/Marie's characterization and the writing, as well as retcon a few plot points.

 **Warnings:** This fic contains Male-to-Female TF/TG, Nudity, and Mature Descriptions. Reader discretion is advised.

* * *

 _Her job was done._

 _She had tasked herself with helping humanity. By and testing the limits of their potential, she hoped to discover the source of their happiness—and in turn, make their true desires become a reality._

 _For the better part of a year, she let her curiosity run wild; taking in the effects of her three chosen test subjects, and acting according to the conclusions she found. In the end, though, she had chosen to leave them be._

 _She had seen the strength and tenacity of the so-called Investigation Team, their determination to seek out the truth at all costs. And their leader, Yu Narukami… the strings in his web of relationships shone brighter than anything she had seen._

 _By their own decision, they fought for the freedom to live for themselves – and so, she would grant them that freedom._

 _It was a shame she wasn't staying on this planet any longer, she mused. She would've loved to see more of what the Wild Card was capable of, after hearing the stories of the ones before him._

 _But alas, things were not meant to be._

…

…hmm?

 _Just then, the goddess noticed something peculiar._

 _There was a woman—an attendant of the Velvet Room, here in her realm._

 _She hadn't been one of those involved in her little experiment, she could tell. Her aura was unfamiliar to her. The attendant was doing some even more peculiar, too: some sort of inquisitiveness seemed to have driven her to try catching some of the fog in a jar, of all things._

 _Whatever the case, the goddess was amused enough to decide to interact with her._ _ **"I didn't expect to see a visitor here,"**_ _she began,_ _ **"and certainly not so soon after I declared my duties finished. May I ask why the reasons behind your intrusion?"**_

 _The attendant smiled, as if she wasn't conversing with a literal deity. "Don't mind me, I'm just doing some observation. I understand there was a Wild Card here, so I was wondering if there was perhaps a road to freeing my own here._

Freeing her own, she says?

 _Izanami raised an eyebrow._ _ **"Oh? Do tell."**_

* * *

 **[Minato]**

 **The Great Seal**

It's only been close to two years since I became the Great Seal.

Two years since I last saw my friends and confidants with my own eyes.

…two years since I sacrificed myself to protect them from the apocalypse.

It's… funny, in a way. Once upon a time, I was a pretty apathetic and lethargic person, only being attached to my sister and my MP3 player. Drifting from school to school, from relative to relative, living with the literal embodiment of Death in your soul… it made me wonder if it was truly worth trying to grow close to others.

Now, though? I can't imagine having lived my life without all of my Social Links.

I'll admit… I miss them. I miss them a lot. Not a day goes by where I don't think about them: my sister, my best friends, and the rest of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad.

But when I think about them back on Earth, living life happily in spite of everything's that happened…

…it's enough to keep me going.

It's something Erebus can never take away from me, no matter how hard he tries.

Believe me, he tries _hard._

As the physical manifestation of all of humanity's grief, he doesn't have much else to do than to claw at me and get into contact with Nyx, the goddess I'm sealing (which will kickstand the end of the world, because of course it will). And I can't exactly move, or eat, or drink, or… do much of anything, really, so we're just locked in this stalemate. He won't give up, and I won't give up… honestly, we lead quite the lonely existence.

Luckily for me, the situation's just about to change.

" **Megidolaon!"**

A large Almighty explosion lit up my surroundings, and Erebus was sent reeling back from the impact. It roared in pain, loud and gutturally, its two heads swiveling around to get a look at its attacker.

A silver-haired girl stood behind the injured beast, clad in a stewardess's outfit colored velvet blue. Her posture was almost lackadaisical, twinkling golden eyes showing no care for the demon in front of her. She was a face I never got tired of seeing: **Elizabeth**.

I call her **Liz**.

"You know, it's getting harder to come up with appropriate ways to defeat you," she taunted Erebus. In her hand, her Persona Compendium opened up, flipping through several pages. "Maybe this time I should take you to Jupiter? Or perhaps Saturn?"

Erebus growled incoherently. Still not much of a conversationalist, that one.

" _I think Saturn might be nicer,"_ I offered my two cents. _"Fighting him on its rings sounds pretty scenic to me."_

"Hmm… yes, that _does_ sound appealing for a lady of my tastes. Very well then!" She cast a glance at me and smiled. "Don't worry, Minato," she sang, "I'll be back in a bit. I do believe Erebus has an interstellar trip in order~"

She flicked her hand, and a large magical circle appeared under Erebus, transporting it to the planets beyond (or some such similar location). Liz being Liz, she dramatically hopped in after the disoriented final boss, shouting a frankly gallant _"Tally-hooooooooo!"._

The glyph disappeared soon after, with only the faintest shimmers indicating that it had been there at all.

Sharp and carefree as ever, with not a hint of shame behind her actions…

That's what I love about her.

* * *

Elizabeth was my attendant while I was a guest of the Velvet Room. Initially, our arrangement went like this: she provided me with Personas from the Compendium, and I went out and cleared her requests. Over time, though, I started hanging out with her more and more, even taking her out on 'dates' in the real world. (What can I say, her curiosity and quirkiness is _adorable.)_ We grew a real close bond, one surpassing even that of my maxed-out Social Links.

Yep. A real, _real_ close bond.

…

…

…okay, I'll admit it, we were close enough that we went and 'did it' in the bedroom.

…several times.

…

…shut up.

 _(It's a miracle we never got caught by Mitsuru and the others…)_

A-Anyway… after my time as a living Wild Card came to an end, she decided to strike out on her own, to find a way to free me from this burden of mine. She hasn't gotten far yet, but I know she won't stop 'til she finds a way. But in the meantime, she'll be satisfied with just visiting me every now and then and blasting Erebus to kingdom come.

I really do appreciate that.

Still, though… It can get pretty boring, having nothing except my thoughts (and occasionally my Personas) up here. If any other guy was in my role, I'm pretty sure they'd have gone insane very, very quickly.

I want to see the blue sky again, I won't lie – to feel the warm air against my skin, frolic around with all my friends… but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

And even if it was…

…

…no, never mind. I—I'm just being paranoid.

Well, if that day ever arrives, I've been thinking of taking up poetry as a hobby. With the way my life's been, what with all the symbolism and life contemplations, I figure I've got enough material to last a lifetime. (Also, it sounds like it could be pretty fun. Express my feelings and all that.)

Speaking of which… there's a bunch of words coming to my mind. Something like…

 _I rise to the sky, to the creatures beyond;  
I rise to the sky and leave all my worries behind._

…hmm. Not too shabby. I should share my ideas with Liz sometime…

* * *

A few minutes later, the magic circle reappeared. Not a moment later, Liz pirouetted out of it, a loud "Woo-hoo!" escaping her lips. She landed in front of me, briefly rolled on the ground, and came out of it with her arms in the air.

" _Ta-daaaaaaaaaa!"_ she declared.

I would have smiled if I could physically do so. _"Hey, Elizabeth,"_ I greeted her. _"You're looking well."_

"I could say the same to you, Minato," she remarked. "I've learned quite a bit since we've last met, and seen a number of places. I must admit, the whole 'stowing away' tactic is a very thrilling one indeed, especially with what it teaches you! Did you know that people put their content in boxes? I wonder why. Surely, humans are strong enough to carry it all themselves. Don't you think so?"

I chuckled. _The same as ever, I see. Not that I mind much._

" _I'm more interested in why you decided to stow away, to be honest,"_ I said. _"It doesn't seem like an action you'd need to take."_

"I thought it would be fun!" Liz replied cheerfully. "I may be on a journey of my own, but who says I can't indulge myself here and there? But enough about that. I have some great news!"

Oh? _"Great news, huh? I'd love to hear it."_

"You see, sometime ago, another Wild Card went on his own journey! There was something about some supernatural fog and a burger spree. Order spree? Murder spree? …yes, I think that last one was it – caused by a mythical goddess, interestingly enough."

" _A_ _ **goddess**_ _?"_ I asked, a little surprised. _"You mean, like Nyx and Erebus?"_

"Why, yes. You're as perceptive as ever, Minato," she said. "Specifically, it was **Izanami** , one of the original Japanese gods. Apparently, it was a bid by her to understand the true desires of humanity, and the end result involved her being defeated by the new Wild Card and his group of friends."

Now _that_ caught my interest. There were _more_ deities willing to test humanity for whatever dumb purpose? Admittedly, that kind of unsettled me. A lot.

I mean, look at what _I_ already had to sacrifice in order to save the world. I… I don't want to see others have to be in my position, too.

"… _did the new guy at least survive his own journey?"_ I found myself asking. I had to know, at least. I mean, the only threshold I had for Wild Card journeys was my own, and considering how that ended…

"It was a fairly close incident, Margaret tells me—" And it was here where my breath metaphorically hitched— "but yes, he and his closest friends lived through their ordeal. In fact, they seem closer than ever."

I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. That was good. I wouldn't be having more doors joining me.

…man, that sounded a lot weirder than I thought it'd be.

" _Well, I'm happy he's fine,"_ I said sincerely. Really, at least he'd be able to live life the way I couldn't. _"But, uh… What exactly does this have to do with your 'good news', Liz?"_

"A few days ago," she started explaining, "I decided to go check out Izanami's domain, in case there was anything there I could use for my own purposes. As it turns out, she hadn't yet departed, so we struck up a conversation."

Liz? Casually conversing with a deity? I wish I was there to see it.

"It was a fascinating talk – as it turns out, she's built up a rather impressive collection of gossip – and in the end, we managed to come to an agreement! I figured that, if we combined your Universe Arcana with Izanami's own power, we might be able to forge **a new body** for your mind to inhabit!"

A veritable amount of shock went through my crucified body. _"…R-Really, Liz?"_ I said, feeling a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long time. _"Y-You actually found a way?"_

"That I have!" Liz confirmed with gusto. "Izanami was surprisingly very conducive to doing this. It was even her idea! Of course, there might be a few side-effects from this. I believe that may come as a result of the differences between her power and yours, but I'm certain it won't be anything too bad. So, how about it?"

Despite her reassurances, that sounded kind of… ominous. Like, what kind of consequences could result from this strange fusion? Gods and deities are nothing to trifle about, after all; Izanami may have given her agreement, but who knows what caveats that comes with.

But… this was Elizabeth. I trust her. And I can tell she really wants me to try, at the very least.

And despite whatever consequences may come from this…

…I'll face it head on.

After all, didn't Igor tell me all that time ago to 'take responsibility for the choices that I make' (or something similar, anyway)? This won't be anything out of the ordinary. Probably.

" _Alright, Liz,"_ I decided to agree. _"I'll give it a shot."_

"Wonderful!" her face lit up with glee. It was a look that I'd forever treasure. "Let's get started, shall we? Just imagine the card of your Arcana appearing before you, and we'll begin from there!"

I concentrated hard, focusing my mind upon calling up the combined powers of my Personas. In front of my body materialized a familiar tarot card, its number reading XXI – 'The World'. Or in this case, ' **The Universe** '.

Liz walked up to the card, and… pulled out a glass jar. A clump of yellow fog was resting inside it, sparkling with bright twinkles every now and then. _Uh?_

"This may or may not tingle!" she casually warned, that smile still radiating off her face.

She pulled the lid off the container and let the fog float up toward my tarot card. The fog coalesced into particles of varying sizes, steadily being absorbed like how coffee would dissolve sugar. The card began to glow whiter and whiter, spinning rapidly as the particles were sucked in at a faster rate.

Finally, an incredibly blinding light exploded from the card, and suddenly my soul felt like it was being lifted up to the heavens.

My last thought before I was completely engulfed by the light was, _Hold up, don't tell me my little piece of poetry is becoming_ _ **real—!?**_

* * *

 **Location:** ?

…

…

…

" _Ugh…"_ a groan escaped my mouth, unbidden. _"Wow, wh—what_ _ **happened…?"**_

I froze. I—I _groaned?_

My eyes opened up, and I experimentally brought my hand to my face and wiggled the fingers. It reacted exactly as expected. All the feeling in my body had been restored, as if I had never been dead for any period of time.

Pushing myself off the ground, I stood up and analyzed myself. I looked the same as I had been before I had died. My Gekkoukan uniform was perfectly intact: a black suit, a white dress shirt underneath, and a black sort-of-tie around my collar. My belt, dress pants, and shoes were there too. (And I think I was even aged up a little, to reflect the years it's been since my death.)

Unfortunately, my headphones and MP3 player were nowhere to be seen – but that's probably because they were more personal accessories than actual clothing. That's… depressing, but I guess I can always get another pair after I return to the real world.

…speaking of the real world, where _am_ I? This isn't the Great Seal, or anywhere I've ever been before. It's gotta be above reality for me to be here like this, but where…?

My eyes darted around. I was standing on some sort of pathway made out of the fabric of a red, regal carpet, a black outline hanging off both sides. Four red square gateways lay in front of me, with a circular platform at the end of said path, along with three large arches standing away from the platform. To the sides were an endless encompass of clouds, and I knew walking off would lead to a long, _long_ fall.

"Liz said that she'd been to Izanami's domain," I said to myself. "If my knowledge of the Japanese pantheon is right, this must be…

"… _ **Yomotsu Hirasaka**_ _."_

" **That is correct, Wild Card.** **How perceptive of you."**

I jolted in fright. That—That came outta nowhere!

" **Don't look so surprised; it's rather unbecoming of you. Come, let us meet face-to-face."**

The voice was of a woman's; it was firm and intimidating, kind of like Mitsuru (except not actually).

I started walking forward. This place was unsettlingly empty, in both appearance and atmosphere. I could hear my footsteps echoing loudly as I went. _You gods really know how to make places as creepy as hell,_ I internally grumbled. Like, was that a requirement for being a deity, or something? Nyx had the top of Tartarus, Erebus had the Abyss of Time (or so Elizabeth says)… I swear they just get off on making the evilest residences around.

Eventually, I reached the end of the path. A figure was standing in the middle of the platform ahead, looking out into the abyss beyond.

They turned around upon sensing my presence, revealing a beauty that was almost otherworldly to look at. Red eyes stared back at me, accompanied by wavy gray hair and skin as pale as a corpse. Her well-endowed body was covered by a long, flowing white robe, adding to her ethereal appearance. She radiated power like it was nothing, too; despite my ownership of the Universe Arcana, I knew getting into a fight with her would be no easy task.

Based off recent contextual events, it didn't take long for me to figure out who this woman was.

"Izanami, right?" I asked.

She nodded. **"And you must be Minato Arisato. I must say, it is a pleasure to finally meet the human who sealed away Nyx behind an impassible barrier. You've certainly made strides within our little community of deities."**

"I—I have?" I… I didn't expect _that._ Gods and goddesses themselves know of my deeds? That makes me both a little proud and a little worried.

" **Of course. It's not every day a mortal manages to do the impossible. How could I not admire such strength of will?"** I blushed and rubbed the back of my head. **"I would have loved to investigate your situation, but I was preoccupied setting things for my own experiment. In fact, I probably would have forgotten if it wasn't for your attendant wandering around. She is a… unique individual, to say the least."**

I chuckled. "Yeah, that's Liz for you. I'm glad she's my beloved, though."

" **Beloved, hmm…? That explains part of her desire to save you,"** she mused. **"I don't normally do favors—but you interest me, so I'll grant you this one gift… with a price."**

That's about what I expected. I deadpanned, "I won't have to fight you for it or anything, will I?"

Izanami laughed. **"Oh no,"** she answered. **"I am—what's the word… a little exhausted from my recent excursions, so I am not too keen on giving another challenge at the given moment. Besides, you have gone through much hardship already, so I believe this present will be very much obliged."**

Well, she's not exactly wrong. It'd be cruel to have an opportunity to live again just to have it yanked out of my grasp. Still, though…

"What kind of price are you asking for, anyway?" I inquired. Best to ask now, before I get any unwelcome surprises. I mean, gods and goddesses are known to be rather… finicky, at times.

" **It won't be anything debilitating, don't you worry,"** she assured me, waving a hand in the air. **"You might even consider them more as a benefit. Having your old body again would be fine… but I do believe it'd be more interesting if you instead had a look at the distaff side of life. After all, I know you males love to concern yourselves with the desires of us women…"**

 _H-H-H-_ _ **Huh!?**_

A furious blush lit up my face, my eyes carefully avoiding the goddess's gaze. "U-Uh, I-I don't really think—"

Before I could speak another word, the goddess approached my form, her robes still billowing brilliantly behind her. She put a hand on my shoulder, and I felt a surge of power well up through me again, my body briefly glowing a bright white.

Without warning, my clothes were swept away in the blink of an eye, disintegrating into various particles as if they had never been there. This had the side-effect of leaving me utterly naked – _right in front of Izanami._

"H- _Hey!"_ I stammered, losing my stoic composure. S-Seriously? _This_ is how she planned to do this!? "Y-You couldn't have _kept_ my clothes or anything!?"

" **No need to look so flustered,"** Izanami continued, as if she hadn't just disintegrated my clothes. **"There is nothing there that I haven't already seen in all of humanity."**

I felt a little offended at that. Just a little.

That dissipated the second the second I felt something tingling atop my head. Smiling, Izanami summoned a gargantuan, ornate mirror to the side of me, directing my attention toward it. **"Don't look so worried,"** she said to me. **"Just sit back and enjoy the show."**

I gulped. _No turning back now…!_

* * *

It started with my hair.

Before my very eyes, I watched it shorten, the bangs moving away from my face and no longer covering my left eye. It was mesmerizing, seeing it through the mirror; punctuating that was seeing the pigments in my hair darken and turn into a solid shade of black.

I moved a palm to the side of my head. _"O-Oh boy…_ What kind of changes are you going to make?" I couldn't help but ask.

Izanami simply smiled again, enigmatically saying, **"It won't hurt. Trust me."**

That tingling feeling quickly moved on my face (and the rest of my head), wherein my nose became petite, my lips grew softer, and my chin caved in. A light application of lipstick even materialized. My facial muscles were shifting all over, without any instinctive input from me—and the weirdness level only rose from there.

Something welled up in my eyes, and I ended up blinking multiple times before my vision cleared up. When it did, I noticed my irises had widened considerably, changing color from a steel blue to a vibrant green. My eyelashes had similarly become more elongated, consequentially drawing much more attention toward my admittedly beautiful eyes.

In curiosity, I had the face reflected at me wear a worried expression. It almost seemed unreal – where I expected myself, there was instead a teenage girl's face. Instinctively, I gulped, something receding down my throat. "You're… You're actually turning me into… a **girl…?** " I asked, before bringing a hand to my mouth in shock. My voice was suddenly much more feminine, and I could tell it had shot up several octaves.

" **Of course,"** Izanami stated. **"It wouldn't do for any avatar I create to be unrepresentative of my grace. You'll be so beautiful, you won't even need to put on any of the 'make-up' you humans use so much."**

That was _so_ the least of my concerns, but it was too late to try to get her to back out now. When deities get going, it takes a _lot_ to make them stop – and doing that in the middle of _this_ was definitely a bad idea. "A-At least th-there's that," I stammered, unused to the new dulcet tones in my voice.

The rest of my body began to be affected by this experience, too: I looked down, and witnessed all my body hair disintegrating in an instant. (Somehow, I'm not very surprised by that happening. **"Can't have any ugly hair on my avatar now,"** Izanami commented.) My skin complexion lightened as well, becoming a little shinier, glossier, and _much_ more sensitive – I could really _feel_ the cold breeze brushing against me, and let me tell you, it was… uncomfortable.

Next, I zoomed a hand out in front of me, examining the changes as they happened. My fingers slimmed down to the point of being dainty beyond belief, and I wiggled them around in faint fascination. They became a lot easier to move around, and that only intensified once my arms lost whatever muscle mass I had built up – much to my disappointment. (A whole year of Tartarus is one heck of a way to exercise, lemme tell you!)

Moving on, I reluctantly watched as the last bits of my masculine physique sank back into my body. To replace them, my thighs caved in and my hips grew in tandem, giving me a sort of hourglass figure fit for a woman. Looking back in the mirror, I saw a confused, flat-chested girl from the waist up, and male bits and legs below that – oh, and a white-robed goddess still hovering to her side.

"J-Jeez, t-talk about awkward," I muttered, eyeing what little of myself hadn't changed yet. I shifted about on my feet, struggling to keep my balance as they too transformed. "Being halfway to girlhood is a lot weirder when you can see yourself like this."

While my legs became curvier and shapelier, with my feet due to follow, a swelling sensation suddenly surged from within my ass region. _"Eep!"_ I clasped both my hands against my cheeks, and flushed as they swelled and pushed against my palms. _"And that certainly doesn't help!"_ I squeaked.

" **Do not worry,"** Izanami said, amused. **"We are slowly reaching the end of this process. Speaking of which, your organs and reproduction systems should be reorganizing right around… now."**

At that exact moment, I felt my insides tumble around with reckless abandon, forcing me to bend over in order to try and contain my nausea. Immediately after that, my… 'pride and joy' became next on the chopping block: I dropped my gaze down, and—half-fascinated, half-horrified—I observed my crotch shrink dramatically in size.

I bit my lip to stop myself from saying anything lewd. A whole horde of feelings were wriggling up and down my spine, and I didn't trust myself not to embarrass myself in front of Izanami. (I'm still a teenage male deep down, y'know!) Which was difficult, given what was going on. _C'mon, Minato, c'mon, hold it in just a little longer!_

Finally, my crotch regressed entirely into my body, making weird slushing noises in the process. In response, a fresh slit formed up where my crotch used to be, sending waves of pleasure down my spine. _"E-E-EEeEEEEeEEEeeE—!"_ I squealed, barely holding things in long enough to, uh… stop any leaks.

Once that was done, I ended up slouching, panting from the split-second experience I'd just had. Just to be safe, I prodded the general region where my new vagina resided.

One more surge of excitement shot through my body, making me blush. That confirmed it: I was officially a girl.

" **Hmm, you're coming out quite fine,"** Izanami noted. **"Only one more step remains to be completed."**

My own common sense directed me to look at my currently flat chest, which I knew would be changing in just a few seconds. A sensation spun around beneath my chest, and before my very eyes, I watched two breasts begin to inflate like balloons at a festival. I could feel them springing around too, being unbound by my lack of clothing (thanks, Izanami).

When these supple mounds of flesh finally stopped growing, I went and cupped them in my hands. Somehow, having their weight hanging off my chest and in my grasp… it made everything seem that much more palpable. While they weren't as huge as other girls I've seen—Mitsuru comes to mind—they still made me blush with excitement. And, unlike everyone else…

…they were mine.

All of this was mine.

Mine, mine, _mine._

Was—Was this how other girls felt like, every day?

If so… I don't think I ever want to let it go.

* * *

Izanami walked around me, her eyes sternly analyzing every bit of my transformed body. Without warning, I notice her face light up – evidently, another idea had popped into her head. Without any words, she snapped her fingers.

A flurry of sparkles spun all about my form, and a collection of clothes and accessories suddenly materialized on various parts of my body. Once more, I drew my attention to the mirror—and I was met with quite a sight.

A blue officer's cap had been placed on my head, adorned with a yellow badge. Some sort of red choker lay around my neck, a small yellow lock hanging off of it. The lock didn't feel like it was holding my collar in place… so was it just decoration? I didn't really know.

I wore a sleeveless white shirt and a plaid skirt checkered red-and-black, plus a black tie with various pins hanging around my collar. It was fairly light compared to the Gekkoukan uniform I was used to, but it wasn't at all bad. Adding to the look was the belt attached to my waist, featuring a heart-shaped buckle adorned with wings – oh, and a velvet blue bag slung over my shoulders, though it was noticeably light on contents at the moment.

Fingerless gloves striped black, white, and red covered my arms, reaching almost to my shoulders. The rims of the gloves were tightened by black laces, automatically tied together through magic. My stockings were no slouch, either – they alternated between black and white colors, and reached far up my thighs. On my feet were also the longest pair of high-heeled boots I had ever seen, showcasing a subtle checkerboard pattern that was actually rather pleasing to the eye.

They were… actually rather comfortable to wear, despite being strange fashion choices. Not to mention, there's something about them that just _clicks_ with me. This may be my girly instincts talking, but I have to say… I look _good._

After staring for a while, Izanami leaned back, a satisfied smile appearing on her face. **"You look perfect,"** she praised, looking truly pleased with herself and me. **"You truly are deserving of being the avatar of my own powers now."**

"You… You really think so?" I stammered, my face once more flushing bright red, bashful eyes looking off to the side. "Th-Thanks, I guess. I—I can't tell you how much I appreciate you doing this for me, even though you didn't have to."

" **It was the least I could do for you, making you into a virtual goddess. You don't deserve to be ravaged constantly by** _ **Erebus,**_ **anyway."** She said his name like it was a curse; guess he wasn't too popular with other deities. **"You should be more than capable of handling him now—I've given you a strength level comparable to my own, as well as a host of abilities, some able to distort reality to your are other things worth mentioning, but I've taken up enough of your time as it is—so you can read more in the manual I'll include."**

I blinked. "Manual? That's… oddly accommodating of you."

" **It would be irresponsible if I didn't give you a way to figure out your new powers,"** she handwaved. **"So long as you use them somewhat responsibly, there is nothing I need to worry about.**

" **Humanity, as I've learned, is a complicated species—they can be both logical and illogical at once. But they have much potential within them, a potential I believe you encompass very well. I look forward to seeing what you will do next. Now go… and embrace your desires."**

"Can do," I smiled. "Don't worry—we can live up to your expectations. That's a promise."

And with that statement, my vision… faded to white.

* * *

 **The Great Seal**

I found my body transported into the sky.

…

…

…

 _Oh, what the_ _ **heck?**_

" _Crap, crap, crap, crap,_ _ **crap—!"**_

I proceeded to a grand entrance by triumphantly flumping onto the ground face-first.

… _well, that was peachy_ , I thought sarcastically.

Gee, Izanami. You couldn't have ported me in standing on the ground?

"Oh my!" I heard Elizabeth's voice ring in my ear. "Now that was quite the drop!"

I groaned, lifting an arm to steady myself. "Liz?" I muttered. "Are you there?"

"Minato?" Suddenly, I was yanked off the floor, feminine hands gripping my arms with excitement. I yelped in surprise, abruptly brought up to look at Liz. She took in my appearance for a few moments before an ecstatic smile broke out on her face.

"It really _is_ you! I can always recognize the expressions on your face. They're quite a vision!" Her expression turned to curiosity. "You look different, though. Much more feminine, too! Did something happen?"

"You could say that," I replied. "Apparently, when Izanami makes vessels for others, it comes with a package deal: getting her powers, her beauty, goddesshood…" I shrugged, sheepishly grinning. "It's not what I expected, but hey! I can take it."

"Hmm… I must say," she said, her hands going up the sides of my torso, "she most definitely knows how to craft a feminine body. I could definitely get used to this in our own fusions, if you know what I mean."

"L- _Liz!"_ I exclaimed, blushing red. "You—You don't have to p-put it _that_ way!"

"Why not? It is not as if you are… unused to our sessions, after all!"

"Well, I _was_ a male for our make-out experiences," I muttered embarrassed. "It's gonna be _weird_ being a girl for those…"

"I'm certain you'll have nothing to fear!" Elizabeth said joyfully. "After all, _I_ am a female, too; I have plenty of experience in the field for you to immerse yourself in! The whole world is at our fingertips, now that you're free from the Great Seal!"

"…yeah. You're right."

…free.

I'm free.

In spite of everything that's happened, everything I've lost… I'm—I'm _free._

I'm here now, even though my old body's still over there, crucified against the door to Nyx.

I'm an attractive girl, with a fashion style that suits me well (yes it does, shut up) and power beyond the likes of even Erebus. I can finally go back to enjoying life, seeing the sights, and even meet up with all my friends again—and my sister! There's nothing that can hold me back anymore—

…and you better believe I'm not gonna take it for granted.

"Say, that bag of yours seems to be full," Liz observed. "Perhaps there are some extra gifts from Izanami in there—like a starter pack for goddessses! I've always wanted one of those for myself…"

"You don't really need it though, Liz," I teased. "You already know how to use your powers and live in the real world without… much trouble, anyway."

"Much trouble?" she playfully pouted. "And what is that, pray tell, supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing."

She's not wrong, though. My new bag _is_ heavier than before. I know part of that's likely thanks to the manual the goddess mentioned earlier, but the rest… "Hmm… maybe! Let's see…"

I rifled through the bag for a bit before eventually pulling out an envelope, of all things. I opened it up and read the letter inside, Liz doing the same from over my shoulder.

 _Dear Minato,_

 _Being my newest avatar, I have provided you with a few introductory gifts to ease you into your new existence. Enclosed in your bag are several items, including the manual I mentioned earlier, documents legally establishing your new identity, and all of your monetary resources from prior to your journey's end—plus extra._

One by one, I took out each of the items mentioned. Indeed, a hardcover manual was part of the pile (with the cover amusedly reading 'Being a Goddess for Dummies'), along with the aforementioned documents and my old wallet. To my surprise, there was also a Persona card, picturing a red-clad woman with this enormous black cloak.

I filed that fact away for later. _I'll try her out once I've gotten used to everything else,_ I decided. I went back to digging into my purse—until I hit upon two objects with suspiciously familiar shapes to me. Lo and behold…

 _In addition, by request from your attendant, I have retrieved your old music player and headphones. I imagine you know better than I the purpose behind such mystical devices, and hope you find satisfaction from their presence._

I couldn't help but grin widely. "It's been _so long~!"_ I cooed, pressing them against my cheeks. "I can't wait to get back to listening to you~! You up for a dozen more repeats of Burn My Dread?"

"My, my!" Liz cheekily interrupted. "I didn't know you were _that_ in love with your music!"

I froze for a moment. "…you didn't see anything," I said quickly, speedily putting the headphones around my neck.

"I'm sure I didn't~!"

 _Hopefully, you should be able to perform a remarkable job as my avatar on Earth. I have faith that your actions will result in the betterment of humanity, no matter what road you choose to take._

 _Good luck._

– _Izanami_

 _P.S. If you see Yu Narukami, give him my regards._

Idly, I grabbed my wallet and looked inside – and true to Izanami's words, my wallet was still bursting with millions of yen and counting. (Tartarus was practically a money-making machine. I don't think I'll be going broke for a while.) Sifting through it, I eventually found my new ID, featuring a photo of me and—of course—my new name.

" **Mariko Kusumi** …" I tried. _Mmm…_ "It's a nice name, I gotta admit."

"It certainly _does_ suit you, you know!" Liz repeated my earlier thoughts. "I think I'll call you **Marie** , though. Much more catchy on the tongue! Or would that be snappy? Hmm…"

While Elizabeth continued her pondering, I thought over her proposed nickname.

Marie.

 _Ma_ -rie.

…I like it.

While a part of me still wishes I could be Minato Arisato again… I think being Mariko Kusumi won't hurt at all.

And so long as I've got Elizabeth by my side, I think I'll be alright.

I closed my eyes, and started quietly reciting words from my heart.

" _Dreams lift us up and carry us around,_  
 _Always making sure to leave us unbound._  
 _Through our desires, be them fleeting or deepening,_  
 _We'll find that they'll be for the taking."_

"…oh, my. You're quite the poet!" Liz complimented. "Where did _this_ come from?"

"When you've got nothing but time on your hands, you tend to get a little philosophical," I said. "Enough of that, though—like you said, we've got the whole world at our fingertips! Any ideas on what to do first?"

"You're in luck—I already have one!" Elizabeth stated. "We just need to pick something up and we'll be good to go!"

"Pick something up? Can't wait to see what you've got."

Whatever she's got in mind, I'm ready to tackle it head-on!

 _This is going to be_ _ **great!**_

* * *

 **[Marie]**

 **Miura Beach**

 _This is going to suckkkkkk, so_ _ **baddddddd.**_

"Come on, Marie~!" Elizabeth sang again to me. "You can come out! It won't be _toooooo_ bad~!"

"Easy for you to say, Liz," I expressed, my face furiously flushing red. "You're not the one who was just recently turned into a girl!"

So—you know that 'something' that Liz wanted to pick up? Turns out it was swimwear. Swimwear for the both of us, specifically designed to show off as much of one's body as humanely possible.

Oh, you better bet I tried getting out of it, but Liz proved herself to be… very persistent. (One does not simply say to 'no' to her. Trust me on that.) So here I am, clad in nothing but a black summer bikini at Miura Beach, with Liz trying to coax me out of the dressing room as best she can.

This just _had_ to be the first thing on her list, didn't it?

I'm feeling as exposed as I had been with Izanami!

And I was _far_ more naked then!

"Oh come on, Marie!" Liz crowed, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "I remember you were fine with this when you want to Yakushima that one time. You remember, right? You, in your swimsuit, trying to pick up other girls…"

"Th-Th-That's d-different!" I stammered out, my blush growing steadily worse. She really knows how to lay it on me… "I was a boy then, w-we hadn't started dating—th-there's a lot of d-different variables there!"

"I'm pretty sure _some_ of the same principles still apply. You were pretty courageous then, why can't you come out now?"

I groaned loudly and dramatically. I'm not looking forward to stepping out, but… I suppose this is something I'll just have to deal with going forward. So…

…let's do this.

Reluctantly, I opened the door and awkwardly shuffled out, holding my breasts under my arm in stark embarrassment. I had no doubt that I looked very attractive right now – which only added to my reluctance.

Elizabeth cooed with joy. "Aw, look at you, Marie! You look _gorgeous!"_ Similarly to me, Liz was wearing a pink bikini that was actually kind of smaller than her breasts themselves. Clearly, she was well experienced in drawing people's gaze (including mine's, if I actually have to admit it).

"Y-Yeah, I guess I d-do," I muttered, trying my best to avert my eyes toward a nearby wall. "Y-You're not too bad, yourself."

"Well, of course!" Liz grinned. "Is it not normal for humans to desire a virtuous appearance for others to see?"

"S-Some people," I acknowledged, "b-but—"

"Then everything's fine! Now, let us be _offffffffffff~!"_

And just like that, Elizabeth took me by the hand and dashed out of the dressing room. I yelped and tried to utter a protest, but it was just lost in the rushing winds. The two of us were quite the sight to look at; Liz bouncing with joy blindly toward the general region of the beach, and me just trying to hang on from Liz's eternal reserves of boundless energy. (Like, seriously! She can move like hedgehogs, I swear!)

"S-Slow down, L-Liz!" I shouted.

"Why? This is fun!" came her predictable response.

Eventually, we both arrived at the beach, standing ankle deep in the middle of the sea. I clattered for a moment, unused to the cold bouncing against my skin after so long, but it didn't take me long to get used to it. Elizabeth, meanwhile, looked barely winded (if at all) from the rush, and she still seemed very much lively.

"Look how beautiful today is!" Liz cheered, putting a hand on my hip and directing her hand toward the entirety of the beach. "The sun is shining bright, the sky is clear of clouds, and there's just so much life here! Coming to the beach was a great decision!"

My nervous levels may still be through the roof, but I could tell Liz was ecstatic with being able to spend time with me, which _did_ admittedly mitigate that a bit.

"You like it too, right, Marie?" she jolted me out of my thoughts. "I know you're happy about this even if you don't want to show it. Come on, show a smile!"

Her enthusiasm, despite myself, rubbed off on me, and I found my lips twitching in response. Eventually, a full-blown smile _did_ come onto my face. "I-It's alright, I'll admit…" I whispered.

"There you go!" she proclaimed, beaming in appreciation. She clapped her other hand on my shoulder. "Now, how about we go out swimming? I've always wanted to try that skill!" Letting go, Liz once more ran deeper into the waves, splashing all around as she went.

I let my smile go a little wider, feeling much calmer than before.

 _That's my Elizabeth,_ I thought.

Well, like I said before… I suppose this won't be too bad.

After all, I've got a lot ahead of me now. I can't let worries define me now.

"Hey, wait up!" I called, running in after her.

 _Watch out, world… Marie's here to live life her way!_

* * *

 **So a** **fter I wrote** _ **A Universal Contrast,**_ **I wanted my next TF/TG work to be much more lighthearted and happier by comparison. I was also still very much in a mood to some more** _ **Persona**_ _ **,**_ **and I figured what happened to Minako in that fic, I should give at least** _ **one**_ **of the P3 protagonists a happy ending.**

 **I initially published this fic back in June of 2018. A year and a half has passed now, and while I can say I wasn't a** _ **bad**_ **writer then, I've certainly improved since. So in the same vein that I've updated some of my past** Make a Friend **fics to improve the structure and add to the lore, I'm doing the same for the** A Goddess in Reality **series.**

 **I've never played** _ **Persona 4 Golden**_ **myself, but I have to admit, there's something about Marie's design that appeals to me. She's pretty cute, even including her mismatched fashion sense – oh, and I think her tsundere's status charming enough, based on what I've seen in both** _ **Persona Q**_ **entries. There's not a whole lotta love for her, unfortunately, which is why I chose to have Minato transform into her. Seemed like the best of both worlds—a better fate for Minato, more Marie, what more could you ask for?**

 **If you're wondering why Minato's a lot more outgoing in this fic, part of that's because this is him after a truckload of Character Development. The way I see it, his time in SEES helped give him a better appreciation for life and people in general. This, combined with the freedom that comes from being able to live once again, means he ends up as something of a mix between Canon!Minato and Canon!Marie. She's… different, I'll give you that, but I hope she's still a fun figure to read.**

 **This fic was done in first person as something of an experiment. Getting a look at Minato/Marie's thought processes was a joy, and I really enjoyed writing his/her interactions with Elizabeth. I wouldn't mind writing another TF/TG fic like this sometime, honestly. (Maybe with some added mental changes to make things more interesting, who knows?)**

 **Well, that's all for now – see you guys around!**


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